Conventionally, a carrier tape has been used for supplying components (for example, electronic components) onto nozzles of a transfer head of a component mounting apparatus. The carrier tape has a base tape in which a plurality of depressed or embossed recesses accommodating components are arranged in a tape length direction and a top tape which is pasted on the base tape so as to cover the plurality of recesses accommodating the components. The top tape is removed from the base tape such that the components in the recesses of the carrier tape can be sucked by the nozzles of the transfer head of the component mounting apparatus.
For example, the component supplying apparatus described in Patent document 1 is configured to feed a carrier tape in a horizontal direction toward a component supply position. The component supply position is a position at which the components in the recesses of the carrier tape are sucked by nozzles of a transfer head of a component mounting apparatus. The component supplying apparatus also has a top tape removing device positioned on upstream side of the component supply position in a tape feeding direction and removing the top tape from the carrier tape. The top tape removing device is above the carrier tape fed in the horizontal direction toward the component supply position and configured to peel the top tape in a direction opposite to the carrier tape feeding direction.